Director Jud's Blog

Dear Parents of Future SMA Campers - 

As we approach another summer season here at Stone Mountain Adventures (SMA), I want to take a moment to share with you why sending your teenager to a camp like SMA might just be the best decision you ever make. In a world dominated by technology and constant connectivity, our camp offers a unique opportunity for young people to unplug, unwind, and reconnect with the simple joys of nature and community.

Now, I know what you might be thinking—"How can I convince my teenagers to go device free while at camp?" After all, people who are teens today have had devises in their hands all their lives.   In today's digital age, the idea of going two or four weeks without a phone or tablet can feel downright scary, if not impossible to them. But trust me when I say that as someone who has witnessed it firsthand, the transformation that occurs when teens disconnect from their screens and immerse themselves in the camp experience is nothing short of remarkable.

It was an action packed summer at Stone Mountain Adventures and there are now officially 0/8 weeks left at Summer Camp.

Traditional Overnight Summer Camp has it's benefits.  But for some families, a Non-Traditional Overnight Summer Camp is just the right fit!  I challenge you to Declare Your Independence Traditional Overnight Camp and see if a Non-Traditional Overnight Camp Experience is the right one for your child!

What are the differences between Traditional and Non-Traditional Overnight Camps?

This is a great question and good place to start.  In this blog post I will explore the major differences between "Traditional Overnight Camp" and "Non-Traditional Overnight Camp".

Only One Hundred and Fifty Days Until the Grand Opening of Stone Mountain Adventures Teen Summer Camp Two Thousand and Seventeen.

Stone Mountain Adventures is a co-ed overnight summer camp for teenagers located in central Pennsylvania.  We serve young teens ages 12 to 16 and were founded in 1983 by Pam and Biff Houldin.  We offer fantastic summer camp activities including:

• Community Service Projects 

• Outdoor Adventure Activities

• Creative Arts

• Traditional Sports

• Water Sports

Here are a few things that I know for sure in no particular order:

• Life is busy.
• The Natural World is Beautiful

Because life is so busy it is often hard to find time to appreciate the beauty of the natural world around us.  It’s easy to take for granted that it will always be there. 

As a child I remember how my parents felt about exploring nature and new places.  Growing up in the mountains and valleys of central Pennsylvania I gained an appreciation and love of nature and also be spending time in the great outdoors hiking and camping.  During these experiences I also learned a lot about myself and what was important to me.  I also made deep connections with others who shared my passion for outdoor pursuits. 

Former Stone Mountain Adventures Teen Camp Counselor Gabe Millar has written an article titled "Conessions of a Camp Counselor"  Gabe Millar was a Camp Counselor at SMA in 2006 and 2007 and is currently gatting his MBA from the Uni

CLICK HERE TO READ "Confessions Of A Camp Counselor" versity of Montana in Missoula, MT.

Here is part of the blog post:

"As parents, you entrust counselors with your children, well, I guess you mostly entrust the directors or owners of the summer camp, but in reality, counselors are the ones who are with your children most of the time. According to the American Camp Association there are over 12,000 summer camps in the United States, and they employ over 1.5 million people each year, most of whom are counselors. Are these people trustworthy?

Popular culture would have you believe that camp counselors spend the vast majority of their time focused on partying with other counselors (think Meatballs part 1 through 4) and put very little energy into the job of protecting, nurturing, and teaching your kids. Well, I cannot speak for all of us, but this is the perspective of one former summer camp counselor.

Summer camp counselors are notoriously underpaid and overworked, at least that is what we will tell you if you ask, and there is some truth to it. It is true in the same way that parenting is often referred to as the hardest job in the world. I know this because it has been nearly twenty years since I last taught water-skiing, mountain biking, or canoeing as a camp counselor and I am now a parent.

Does the movie Meatballs accurately portray life as a summer camp counselor?"

CLICK HERE TO READ MORE

Gabe Jaffe was a camper st SMA Teen Summer camp for the summers of 2010, 2011, 2012 and 2013. Gabe grew and matured during his time at SMA and when he aged out of SMA we were sad to see him go.  Gabe's older brother Dan Jaffe was also a camper at SMA in 2003, 2004 and 2005.  Gabe recently wrote the following essay as a part of his application for the university of Maryland.  In this essay Gabe had to answer the question:

Describe a time when you were a fearless leader.

Stone Mountain Adventures Teen Summer Camp (SMA), my close-knit overnight camp in rural Pennsylvania, had given me unparalleled experiences, life-long friends, and the best four summers of my life.  Sadly, because I was 15, this would be my last year at camp; the culmination of the session would be the dance and as a veteran camper, I would help organize it.

Jacob

I met so many new people and even tried some new things at camp. Bowling was a lot of fun, and rafting was the best yet. Even though I came into this session already close friends with Alex, we both made friends with all of the new and returning people in 2^nd session. This will probably be my last time at SMA and I’ve had a great time this summer. I’m really going to miss summers at Stone Mountain, but all the time I have been here was awesome.  

Mathilde V.

This was my 3^rd year at SMA Teen Summer Camp, and I just realized how much I love Alex Leonard. We have spent every single day together and my realization made me realize something else (basically like Inception). It’s of being woken up by the Birdy song (which I have a love-hate relationship with) and eating grilled cheese at lunch and straight chillin’ at windsurf/sail and Walmart and the Yough and paper plates, and I just realized how much I love just about everything here. I thought I knew everything about this place but every year I come, I find out little things that make my love for you guys and everything here grow. I can’t wait until the next 2 sessions and next year and every single session I come back until I am a super camper (hopefully) because SMA is my summer home and it always will be.

A truly S’MAzing summer at Stone Mountain Adventures has come to a close. We ended the summer as we began it with an incredible final two week session!

The summer of 2014 at Stone Mountain Adventures Teen Summer Camp really was one for the ages. We had campers from 16 states and five foreign countries including Spain, the UK, France, Switzerland and Dubai.  Our staff was equally diverse with a total of 15 full time camp counselors from nine states as well as “funny-talkers” from England, Northern Ireland, and Australia.  Of those counselors, five were former SMA Campers. 

Stone Mountain Adventures Teen Summer Camp has been featured in a recent publication by Camp Navigator.

Camp Navigator helps parents find quality summer camps and summer programs for thier children. Our updated 2013 Directory of Summer Camps can help you in your search for the best day camps, overnight camps and teen tour/travel camps for kids and teens this upcoming summer.

While sending children to Summer Camps has meritorious results, choosing a right Summer Camp is what actually matters. Landing in a wrong place wherein tutors or coaches take children for a ride will be a more adverse situation. Then what to do? Nothing to worry my friends, search for a right summer camp. Here at Camp Navigator, you can find 10,000+ best summer camps to choose from, that matches all your childs interests. You Can also use Summer Camp Advisory Service to request this information by email or phone. I am happy today that I have found something like Camp Navigator. Hope you will make use of it to transform your child into most successful person.